Europe bans social media for kids under 13

The EU Kids Act would prohibit anyone under 13 from accessing social media entirely. Kids aged 13 to 14 would need parental permission, and only at 15 could they create their own accounts.

“Platforms have been playing fast and loose with our children's mental health. Now we are reversing the burden of proof.”

Child-friendly alternatives for younger kids

Children under 13 can use specially designed video-sharing services managed by their guardians, with safeguards like one hour daily screen time limits and parental content controls.

Banning addictive features like infinite scroll

The act would force platforms to remove recommendation algorithms that trap kids in harmful content, block infinite scroll, disable nighttime notifications, and turn off AI chatbots by default.

“recommendation algorithms that "drag minors into 'rabbit holes' of harmful contact"”

Age verification without storing ID data

Platforms must verify age when opening accounts using reasonable proxies like credit cards, but cannot retain identity documents or biometric data. The EU is developing a dedicated age verification app.

Enforcement through Digital Services Act framework

The EU will enforce compliance using existing Digital Services Act structures, with penalties reaching six percent of global annual turnover and a fast-track 90-day enforcement process.

Challenges ahead: age verification and legal pushback

Age verification has proven technically difficult in other countries like Australia. France's top court already blocked a similar proposal on free speech grounds, and tech industry groups say parallel regulation duplicates existing laws.

“Age verification remains a technical challenge, and parallel regulation to existing laws like the Digital Services Act is problematic and unnecessary”